[Thoracoplasty in scoliosis]

Since 1978, 108 cases of scoliosis with severe thoracic deformity have received thoracoplasty. Most of them were operated at the same time for correction of scoliosis. The resected ribs were served as bone graft for posterial spinal fusion. The rib prominence was reduced 2.5-6.9 cm after operation, and the costectomy also found to be beneficial to the correction of lateral curvature and axial rotation of the spine. The thoracoplasty showed no affect upon the pulmonary function. In this paper, three kinds of thoracoplasty and their indications are discussed and compared.